By Will McGuirk
Illuminati Hotties at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern Wednesday Oct 26 2022. Tickets here.
Gigs This Week: Blackie and the Rodeo Kings at Massey Hall
By Will McGuirk
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings at Massey Hall Friday Oct 28 2022. Tickets here.
Julian Taylor
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Julian Taylor, Chuck D, Orchestra Gold, Zada, Ellen Froese, Marcus Paquin, Gord Downie and Bob Rock, and Tanya Tucker
By Will McGuirk
“This land is my land, this land is your land, This land was made for you and me, poor choice of words by Woody Guthrie. The land was stolen and in the first verse I say and now everyone can see and in the second verse I say that it was built on slavery.” - Julian Taylor
“I am moving past old ideas and into a realm of music that incorporates some newer techniques that I have been opposed to in the past (doubling vocals, drum machines, synths), and recognizing that folk music can be anything I want it to be” - Ellen Froese
“It celebrates an awareness that a myriad of beautiful experiences exist in every moment and that it’s up to each of us to be present in those moments so we can absorb and reflect that energy back onto others.” - Marcus Paquin
Local singer Haddix opens for Harm and Ease at Biltmore Theatre Fri Oct 21
By Will McGuirk
“if you can’t move to it or feel something internally while listening – it just doesn’t feel authentic.” - Haddix
Happy to have had Haddix reach out via Instagram recently. The Brooklin, ON., raised singer/songwriter is opening for rock ‘n’ rollers Harm and Ease, and Pink Leather Jackets, at the Biltmore Theatre Friday Oct 20 2022. Haddix is a grad of the O’Neill CVI in Oshawa, and after submitting an album of her songs, hooked up with Nashville-based group OneOne7. She has six tracks available now and is working on her new record.
Get you tickets here and get there early for Haddix.
Gigs This Week: MONOWHALES at the Biltmore Theatre; an interview
By Will McGuirk
Toronto-based alt-rock band MONOWHALES play The Biltmore Theatre in Oshawa Thursday October 20th. The three piece , Sally Shaar, Zach Zanardo, and Jordan Circosta, won the 2022 Breakthrough Group of the Year Juno but celebrations were short-lived as vocalist Shaar took time to deal with her own breakdown.
Post-Lockdown more and more artists are speaking out about their mental health issues and the physical health challenges of touring. MONOWHALES are among those opening up their private experiences to the public so we reached out to find out how collectively the band is doing and how their new album ‘Tunnel Vision’ was created during these trying times for the trio.
Slowcity.ca: Vocalist Sally Shaar has been quite open about mental health challenges she was experiencing and how she got through, I'm curious about how the other members in the band are feeling, and if they too are also experiencing or have experienced similar challenges and if yes what were their coping strategies?
Jordan Circosta: “Zach and I have both had our share of mental health challenges over the past couple of years. Since our relationships run so deep it’s not unusual for us to step up when Sally is struggling, as she does for us when we start losing our grip. For me specifically, my stuff tends to revolve around existential problems and feelings of alienation, so my coping strategies coming out of the pandemic involved a lot of connecting with my support system and reconnecting with art through creation and performance. Needless to say these were the most difficult things to access under lockdown and it took an enormous toll on my mental health. Therapy helps too, and I really can’t overstate the importance of proper nutrition and hydration as a foundation for mental health.”
SC: The lyrics on the album speak to these challenges of course, but when it comes to the music, was there an effort to channel those feelings through the music and if yes can you give me some examples?
JC: “Music and lyrics are two sides of the same coin, so we’re always trying to make the music support the lyrical content, and vice versa. The guitar solo in StuckintheMiddle is a great example of this - it was recorded at our rehearsal space before the sessions began, after we had lost touch with Sally and were uncertain if ‘Tunnel Vision’ would even get the chance to exist. It was the first take Zach played and when we were assessing if we should re-record it in studio, we decided it already was exactly what it needed to be, since it contained all the frustration and anxiety that is the central theme of that particular track.”
SC: Tunnel Vision as a title is so on the money; we all have tunnel vision, literally . What are the members doing to get out of that tunnel, and see beyond the very tight linear narrative tunnels are such great metaphors for?
JC: “Our focus as a group right now is to immerse ourselves in the experience of performing. After so long away from it, we’ve rediscovered our love of the stage, which is what brought us together as a band in the first place, far more than writing and recording music ever did. For us, the experience of our live shows is the most visceral, all-encompassing, “in the moment” feeling there is, and there’s nothing better than that to break us out of the tunnel vision and plunge us into reality.”
Gigs This Week: Chris MacDonald book launch at the Dakota Tavern
By Will McGuirk
Chris MacDonald book launch Friday Oct 21 2022. Tickets here.
Gigs This Week: Suuns at Lee's Palace
By Will McGuirk
Suuns at Lee’s Palace Thursday Oct 20 2022. Tickets here.
Gigs This Week: Wine Lips at the Horseshoe
By Will McGuirk
Wine Lips at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern Friday Oct 21 2022. Tickets here.
Hayden, photo by Christie Greyerbiehl
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Hayden, The Bros. Landreth, Gabrielle Shonk, Ruby Singh and the Future Ancestors, blesse, Local Natives, Hot Chip, and PUP
By Will McGuirk
"I was inspired to write this song after covering a Leonard Cohen song called ‘Avalanche’ for the promotion of the film Death Of A Ladies Man. I switched the finger-picking guitar to a rolling piano part and liked the feel so much, I just kept playing until this chord progression appeared. The words came later after an autumn visit to Newfoundland. To me, the East Coast imagery matched the circular playing perfectly.” - Hayden
“‘Just Before The Morning’ came from a burst of creativity after we finally reconnected in the studio. The song explores the cyclical nature of life and the many ways in which we begin again.” - Local Natives
“PUP live is PUP at our best and also at our worst. Raw, scrappy, and holding on for dear life.” - Stefan Babcock
Hayden's annual Dream Serenade benefit concert takes place on November 12 at Massey Hall. Tickets here.
Annie Sumi and Brava Kilo
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Ben Caplan and Terra Spencer, Brava Kilo and Annie Sumi, Alok, Sigala, and Ellie Goulding, Barbra Lica, and Abigail Lapell
By Will McGuirk
"All too often, talking about your feelings is like sharing YouTube videos: everyone's smiling and nodding and waiting for their turn to take over, The lyrics to this song are the words I'd love to hear more in hard times, and the words I endeavour to practise myself. Empathy is too rare and extremely beautiful." - Barbra Lica
Gigs This Week: The Box, Glass Tiger at the Regent Theatre
By Will McGuirk
Glass Tiger at the Regent Theatre Thursday Oct. 13 2022. Tickets here.
The Box at the Regent Theatre Sunday Oct. 16 2022. Tickets here.
Bryan Adams, photo by MIkki
Bryan Adams at the Tribute Communities Centre
Gigs This Week: GO7 Music Artists Showcase at the BIltmore
By Will McGuirk
GO7 Music Artists Showcase at the Biltmore Theatre Sunday Oct. 16 2022. Tickets here.
In Loving Memory of Sheldon "Dj S-Luv" Moore